


When the Walls Come Tumblin' Down

by ArgentSleeper



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Gen, Kink Meme, Magic Revealed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-11
Updated: 2014-04-11
Packaged: 2018-01-18 23:24:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1446715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArgentSleeper/pseuds/ArgentSleeper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Well, at least it wasn't wilddeoren.</p><p> </p><p>For the KMM prompt (vastly paraphrased): Magic reveal during a cave in.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When the Walls Come Tumblin' Down

**Author's Note:**

  * For [texasfandoodler](https://archiveofourown.org/users/texasfandoodler/gifts).



> Based on [this](http://kinkme-merlin.livejournal.com/36351.html?thread=40273663#t40273663) KMM prompt (warnings, don't click unless you want spoilers, it's quite detailed).
> 
> Thanks, Tex, for the great prompt!

On the bright side, there weren’t any wilddeoron in these tunnels.

 

That was about the only advantage Arthur could come up with for going through them. That and the rumour that there was a sorcerer hiding within who supposedly had information on Morgana and Morgause. Unfortunately, it was looking like a rumour was all it was. Two hours of exploring tunnel after tunnel and they hadn’t come across anything more than a few bats.

 

Arthur was reasonably certain sorcerers could not turn into bats. That was ridiculous.

 

At least his knights were enjoying themselves. Gwaine, Percival, and Merlin had started a game where they attempted to guess how many new splinters would be at each crossroads. Even if it wasn’t getting on his nerves, Arthur had a feeling he was going to have to put a stop to it soon. Merlin had nearly draining the knights’ purses clean. His luck was uncanny. If Arthur didn’t know better –or at least he prayed he was wrong about it –he would think they were going in circles and Merlin was simply remembering the order. But if that was the case surely he would say something?

 

As they entered yet another passageway, Gwaine seemed to echo his thoughts. “Okay, I _know_ we’ve seen that rock before!”

 

“How can you possibly tell?” Elyan countered. “They’re just rocks.”

 

“Because it looks like it has eyes, and it’s _glaring_ at me.”

 

“No, that’s me,” Arthur grumbled. “Come on, men. This is pointless. We’ll turn around and head back. Maybe we can get out of here by nightfall.”

The others pivoted with grateful sighs and began to walk in the opposite direction. Only Gwaine stayed where he was.

 

“I’m serious. That rock is actually looking at me.”

 

It was something in his voice, an odd seriousness and no small amount of fear that made them pause. Merlin pushed back through the knights to join Gwaine by the rock. “Arthur… I think he’s right.”

 

Frustration reaching its peak, Arthur threw his hands in the air. “Rocks do not _look_ at people, and they certainly don’t _glare_ at people, because rocks _don’t have eyes_. Now let’s _go!_ ”

 

But on his last shouted word the rock-which-may-or-may-not-have-eyes glowed a brilliant green, and the cave began to quake around them. Chunks of rock and dust tumbled from the roof of the cave. Arthur yanked Merlin and Gwaine back sharply as a large boulder threatened to drop on their heads.

 

“ _Run!_ ”

 

But it was obvious they could not hope to outrun the falling ceiling. Perhaps if they were closer to the opening of the passage they had just entered, but from where they were there was no chance.

 

Arthur gave himself a brief moment to say a silent goodbye to his father and Guinevere before gripping Merlin’s arm and preparing for the coming darkness. If this was the end, he wanted to know his friend was there beside him.

 

Merlin, however, had no such compunctions. He gave Arthur a determined, yet strangely resigned look, then shook off the grip just before the dust guttered the torches out.

 

Arthur closed his eyes and waited for a boulder to knock him unconscious, but none came.

 

After several long seconds in which he heard no more rocks falling, Arthur dared to open his eyes. There had been no screams of pain. Had the rocks by some miracle missed them? Was it just a bit of gravel instead of the full cave-in it had seemed to be?

 

Or perhaps he was already dead. Arthur was willing to believe that as the first sight to greet him was a soft blue glow, illuminating the space around them. All of the knights still stood, none with so much as a scratch. And Merlin…

 

Merlin was beside him, arms in the air, blue light flowing from his palms to form a half-bubble around them.

 

His eyes glowed gold.

 

Arthur stumbled backward, though there wasn’t much space to stumble. Merlin was using magic. Merlin was a _sorcerer_.

 

He chanced a glance upward. The falling cave ceiling seemed to have to a halt just outside the blue glow. The surface seemed to be smooth –not that Arthur was going to check –so the earth didn’t seem in immediate danger of crushing them.

 

Which was great, because Arthur had other things to deal with right now.

 

“ _You!_ You- you’re a- you _lied to me! Sorcerer_ ,” he spat.

 

“I’m sorry,” Merlin mumbled back softly, not meeting his eyes.

 

“You had better be sorry! When we get out of here, I’m gonna…” he trailed off, seething. Merlin was a sorcerer. That meant he had to punish him. With the sentence for magic. How could Merlin do this to him? If it weren’t for the fact that he didn’t want to touch a filthy sorcerer, he would have pummelled Merlin to the ground.

 

A hand landed on his shoulder. Lancelot. “Arthur, don’t.”

 

Arthur growled in frustration and stalked away to the opposite side of the bubble, putting more barricades than distance between them. Even at the height of his disgust he couldn’t guarantee that he _wouldn’t_ tackle the servant right now, and from the looks of things, that didn’t seem to be the best of ideas.

 

He wanted to pace, but the constrained area boxed him in. In fact, he couldn’t do any of his usual stress relief methods, not unless he wanted to take Lancelot’s head off with his sword. Which was actually feeling like a better idea the longer time went on. From attempting to calm Arthur, Lancelot had moved to take the prince’s place by Merlin, talking softly to him. He didn’t look in the least angry or even afraid, just concerned. Traitor. Of course he would take the sorcerer’s side.

 

The others at least had mixed reactions. Leon looked almost as angry as Arthur, Percival sad, and Elyan completely stunned, all of them glancing back and forth between the sorcerer and the prince, none of them daring to come closer. Gwaine seemed to be cycling through so many emotions Arthur would have been hard-pressed to tell which one he was aiming for, if he’d even had the motivation to try. As it was, he did not.

 

“Start moving those boulders by the way back to the cavern,” Arthur snapped, desperate to get them to stop looking at him and to give his mind something else to focus on. “If we’re lucky, maybe we can dig a path out of here.”

 

The knights –minus Lancelot, who stayed by the servant –moved to follow his order, then paused. The blue glow cut them off from any attempt they might make. None of them dared to try to reach through. Which meant the only way they could get to it was…

 

“Sorcerer,” he barked. Merlin flinched, but still refused to turn his way. “Remove your magic.”

 

“I can’t…” His quiet voice was slightly strangled.

 

“Do it now, by order of your prince. If you allow us to go free, perhaps your sentence might be mitigated.”

 

“I…”

 

“Arthur,” Lancelot stepped forward. “I think he’s telling the truth. Removing the shield might bring allow the collapse of the cave to continue.”

 

“He won’t let that happen,” Arthur sneered. “He’s still trapped here, too. He can’t kill us without killing himself.” _That’s not true,_ a niggling voice told him. _He could just create a shield all for himself._

“What are you, mad?” Gwaine yelped. “Merlin’s not going to kill us!”

 

“I would have said that Merlin would never delve into sorcery, either, but look where we are, now.”

 

“Sire-”

 

“Merlin didn’t do this!” Gwaine insisted. “You all saw it; it was that rock!”

 

“That he just happened to be standing in front of?” Arthur fired back.

 

“ _Sire_ -”

 

“I was in front of it, too; are you going to accuse me next?”

 

“Are you confessing?”

 

“ _Arthur_!”

 

“What?” Arthur whirled around to glare at Elyan.

 

“The shield is clearing.”

 

Arthur glanced past him. The blue glow was receding up the wall, gliding slowly over the rocks. It stopped nearly two metres up. Then the rumbling of the earth began again, and the ceiling dropped abruptly, nearly smacking Percival about the head.

 

“What was that for?” the prince demanded, spinning back to face Merlin.

 

His gaze didn’t immediately meet the servant’s, however, as Merlin was now on his knees, trembling arms still raised over his head. He didn’t answer.

 

“Stop it, princess; can’t you see it’s hurting him? He cleared your precious way, why don’t you go do your job and get us out of here.” Gwaine joined Lancelot by Merlin’s side, each of them grabbing an arm to brace it. Merlin may not have actually been touching the roof, but apparently he was feeling the weight anyway.

 

Arthur felt the tiniest bit of guilt, but he stamped on it immediately. No, he would not feel bad for a _sorcerer_.

 

Even if the sorcerer was supposed to be his best friend.

 

Instead he put his back into helping the others shift boulders from the top of the barrier. They didn’t have to get the entire thing cleared, just enough so the largest of them could wiggle through.

 

Unfortunately the physical labour wasn’t enough to distract the prince from the pulsing barrier above him, nor the soothing voices behind him. Merlin was a sorcerer. Merlin had magic. _How_ could Arthur have missed this? Clumsy, foolish, _loyal_ Merlin. How could Merlin not have told him? Okay, fine, he knew why. At least in the beginning. But they had been through so much together. They’d fought dragons. Undead soldiers, witches, bandits. Hell, they’d even drunk poison for each other. But still Merlin hid from him.

 

_Because look how you reacted. He’s saving your life, and you as good as told him you’re going to execute him for it._

 

It was all made worse by the fact that he’d just had to suffer through Morgana’s betrayal not two months ago. He’d loved her just as much as he did Merlin, yet they both had turned against him. All because of magic.

 

But while Morgana had used her talents to bring Camelot to its knees, Merlin was here trying to save its future. _He could have just saved himself. He didn’t have to let you live to find him out. He could still do it. But he hasn’t._

_Because he won’t._

“How are you not freaking out right now?” he pretended he didn’t hear Elyan whisper to Percival.

 

“I am,” the large knight admitted quietly. “But I can’t see how that’s going to help Merlin, and right now our lives are in his hands.”

 

Leon joined with his own low mutter. “Do you think he caused this?”

 

“I think you need to take another look at him and ask that again.”

 

With one more last heave, Percival and Leon managed to punch a tiny hole in the rock barrier, enough to fit an arm through. Leon reached into the gap, feeling around to see how deep the block was. “It will take a while more, sire. But at least we know we won’t suffocate now.”

 

The thought that they might run out of air hadn’t even occurred to him. He knew Merlin wouldn’t let that happen.

 

The earth rumbled once more, and Percival had to yank Leon back as the blue glow shield dropped once more, covering the hole they’d managed to make and forcing them to their knees. Arthur swivelled around as best he could to look at Merlin, biting back the urge to yell again.

 

Even with the help of Gwaine and Lancelot, Merlin’s arms had given out and dropped, so that they were bent at the elbows, his palms barely above his head. Arthur crawled over to him, ignoring the fierce glare of Gwaine. “Merlin? What’s wrong? What happened?”

 

He didn’t answer, but now that Arthur was actually giving him more than a cursory look, he could see why. The servant’s face was scrunched up in pain and concentration, and his arms shook badly. Peering closer through the dim light, he could see a faint trickle of blood running from Merlin’s nose.

 

“Shit.” He reached up a thumb to wipe the trail away, noting with a much stronger pang of guilt that Merlin still had the focus to flinch away. He was angry and rightly so, but he never wanted to see Merlin hurt. No matter what his mouth or mind might rage to the contrary. “You can’t keep this up much longer.”

 

“Glad you finally noticed,” Gwaine mocked. Lancelot hushed him.

 

“Go join the others to clear the path,” he ordered. Neither moved. “Now. We’ll be fine, I swear.”

 

Reluctantly the two knights moved away. Arthur scooted a bit closer to Merlin. Speaking gently so as not to startle him, he asked, “Is it alright if we move you to lean against the wall, or will that break your concentration too much?” Merlin shook his head in tiny jerks, his eyes squeezed shut. “Okay, how about if you lean against me?” Merlin shook his head again. “Come on, Merlin. It’s worse to not have any support. Look, I’m going to move behind your back here, and I just want you to relax against me, alright? We’re going to do this together. That’s it, just lean back.”

 

Arthur had to reach his arms back in a reverse hug to get Merlin to lean closer, but eventually he relaxed the tiniest smidgeon against him. Even that put more force on him than Arthur would have thought the lean boy could manage. “So you really are holding up the ceiling, huh?” No reply, but Arthur wasn’t expecting one now. He sighed. “What am I going to do with you, Merlin?” The body behind him tensed further. “If I kill someone who has saved my life, what does that make me? Regardless of the method they use? What kind of king would I become?”

 

“You’re going to be… a _great…_ king, Arthur. Sorry… won’t be… there… see it.”

 

“No,” he countered determinedly. He wished he could do something more to support him, but if words were all Merlin could take, than Arthur would give him every last one. “You will. Just hold on, Merlin. Just a little while longer.”

 

A little while turned into a long while, however. Although they could not see the sun, Arthur was sure it had set long ago. The shield dropped twice more, each time forcing the knights to start again with their digging. Merlin ended up curled in a ball, knees against his chest. His muscles were starting to spasm occasionally from strain, and the bleed from his nose refused to stop. Arthur stayed by his side, murmuring encouragements. He knew he ought to switch with one of the others to give them a break, but he couldn’t make himself leave. The one time he shifted position to try give his legs a stretch, Merlin let out such a pitiful pained wail that Arthur didn’t dare move another muscle. The blue glow started to flicker.

 

By the time a hole big enough for even the giant Percival to squeeze through, Arthur wasn’t sure Merlin was even aware of anything around him but holding up the ceiling. “Everyone out, now, before the shield gives.”

 

His knights gave him incredulous glances, and Gwaine and Lancelot looked ready to argue fiercely against the order, but Arthur stood firm. “Out. We’re right behind you.”

 

He made sure they were all clear before easing himself out from behind Merlin, wrapping his arms around the boy to keep him stable. “Come on, Merlin. Our turn.”

 

Merlin twitched his head in what might have been a nugatory. “Can’t… gotta… hold… move… bad…”

 

“You don’t need to hold it anymore, Merlin. The way out is clear. We can go now.”

 

“No… fall.”

 

Arthur measured the distance to the edge of the shield and it clicked what Merlin was saying. If even the slightest distraction could cause his shield to fail, then there was no way he could move all the way over to the edge of the passageway.

 

“Leave… go.”

 

“I am _not_ _leaving_ you here, you idiot. Do you know what Gaius would do to me if I came back without you? Not to mention I’d have to train an entirely new servant, and if I haven’t managed to break you in in five years, what makes you think I’m willing to go through the whole process over again?”

 

“Please… die anyway…”

 

Arthur tightened his grip on Merlin’s waist. “You are not going to die, Merlin. I promise. We’re going to get out of here, and we’re going to go home, and you’re going to clean my armour. It’s filthy, you might have noticed. And my shirt has quite a bit of someone’s blood on it that you’ll have to wash out.” Not that Arthur would let him touch his bloody tunic.

 

He would probably have it burned.

“Just scootch over here, a little bit at a time, okay? We’re going to do this together. Because I know you’re too much of an idiot to do it yourself. That’s it. Let the shield go wherever you can. We only need a path to the exit. Let it go as you move forward. Keep coming, that’s it. Slow and steady.”

 

Slow as in a millimetre at a time. With his eyes still squeezed shut, it was only Arthur’s touch and voice guiding him through. And honestly, Arthur wasn’t sure how much of either was getting through over the increasing sounds of pained whimpers. But if Merlin was moving at all, he would count it as a win. The rocks shifted and creaked around them as the servant’s grip faltered on their surroundings. Arthur prayed Merlin would be able to keep it up until they made it to the edge.

 

He couldn’t. “Please… leave me…need… you be safe.” His voice was so tiny Arthur barely heard it, but he did notice Merlin had stopped inching toward him. It was also hard to miss the bits of gravel escaping through the holes of a one solid shield quickly turning to lace.

 

“Percival, can you reach us? Can you pull him out?”

 

“You’re too far in still.”

 

“Wait, I found some rope!” Gwaine called from somewhere in the distance. “Think that’ll help?”

 

Lancelot crawled into the rapidly shrinking space. “If we tie this around his waist and pull as fast as we can, perhaps we can get him out before it collapses. Or at least keep him from being killed by it.”

 

Arthur didn’t like the qualifier, but with Merlin frozen in place, what other choice did they have?

 

“You have to come out first, sire,” Leon called in to him.

 

Arthur hesitated. What was to stop Merlin from simply letting his spell go once Arthur was clear from danger? “Merlin. Merlin, I need you to listen to me. I swear, you’re going to get out of here. But I need you to hold on as long as you can, do you hear me? It’s not an order. It’s… I need you to survive this, okay? Do it for me.”

 

He gave his friend’s shoulder one last squeeze before crawling out after Lancelot and taking his place on the rope. It was up to Merlin now.

 

“3, 2, 1, PULL!”

 

The sound of the last of the cave tumbling down roared in Arthur’s ears, but not as loud as the screams from Merlin as he gave it his all to keep him from hitting his body, just as Arthur had asked of him. The screams didn’t stop even once he was clear of the wreckage, at least not until he simply fell unconscious without another word.

Arthur rushed forward to find a pulse. It was weak and thready, but it was there. “We need to grab him and go. We’re not risking staying here a moment longer.”

 

Percival picked him up and tossed him gently over his shoulder. Merlin’s head lolled against his back, his body finally able to go lax.

 

* * *

 

 

It was three days before Merlin woke up. Gaius swore it wasn’t dire, that he simply needed time for his reserves to build back up again. Magic was apparently so much a part of what made Merlin _Merlin_ that without it he was like a body that had been drained of blood. They had gotten lucky, the physician assured them. Another few minutes even, and Merlin might not have made it. Such a taxing spell had taken a harsh toll, but once he recovered magically he would be fine.

 

That wasn’t good enough for Arthur, nor any of the knights, all of whom took turns pacing at Merlin’s bedside. Arthur was unfortunately too busy with his regent duties to be able to take his turn as often as he would have liked, but his role meant he could order that one of his knights be with the servant at all times in case he woke up. He left orders as well that he was to be notified the instant it happened.

 

As it happened, it was none of them with Merlin when he finally awoke, but Guinevere, who had shooed a drooping Lancelot out under orders to get some sleep of his own before he dared show his face again. By the time Arthur was told what had happened, Merlin was asleep again.

 

The change meant that more could only be too close, though. Arthur gave over all his non-essential duties to his uncle Agravaine and Leon and took up a permanent post by his friend’s bed.

 

“This really isn’t necessary, sire,” Gaius said gently. “I have never stood by the notion that the sleeping can tell when someone is talking to them.”

 

But Arthur stood firm. “He’ll know it’s me.”

 

A few hours later and Merlin was indeed peeking his eyes open again. “Ah, there you are. You know, I seem to remember telling you I wanted you to clean my armour when we got home. I know you’re incompetent, Merlin, but really, three days late?”

 

“I… I didn’t…” Merlin protested scratchily, eyes roaming around in confusion.

 

“Calm down, I didn’t mean it,” Arthur soothed, abashed. Gaius had said Merlin’s mental state would be a bit fragile at first. “Take all the time you need. I think you earned it.”

 

Merlin let out a little chuckle. “I’d say.” His face morphed into a frown. “I really am sorry, Arthur. I didn’t… you know I would _never_ …”

 

“Never save my life? Never put your own life in danger to ensure that mine and those of my knights are okay? Never attempt to sacrifice yourself because you’re a complete idiot who thinks that I’d be okay if anything happened to you?” His voice had risen to a cracked shout by the end, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

 

“Yeah…” Merlin replied softly, the tiny smile returning. “Not ever.”

 

“Don’t you ever do that again, Merlin. Do you hear me?”

 

“I hear you… but you know I never listen to what you say.”

 

“You’ll listen this time, so help me, or I’ll know why.”

 

“You know why.”

 

Arthur fell silent. He did.

 

“Only…” Merlin grimaced and looked pleadingly up at him. “Could we… do you think…”

 

“What?”

 

“Could we possibly not go into any more caves for a while?”

 

Arthur couldn’t help it. He threw back his head and laughed near hysterically. “Never again, Merlin. Never again.”


End file.
